TfL Cycle Infrastructure Database

T-Kartor spent most of 2015 working as consultants on Transport for London’s Cycle Infrastructure Database. Following completion, work has recently begun field surveying all cycle infrastructure across the capital.

Background
London is undergoing substantial improvements in cycling infrastructure to meet an ambitious vision set out in 2012 by former Mayor Boris Jonson. Measures include the Cycle Hire program, Cycle Superhighways, traffic calming measures and specially designed junctions allowing priority and traffic lights for cyclists. The Cycle Infrastructure Database will be important for the following reasons:

As new cycle infrastructure is completed it will be highlighted on TfL customer information, which will encourage an increase in cycling.
A detailed inventory and overview of existing and new infrastructure will be an essential input to the planning process.
The new, improved Cycle Infrastructure Database will form the basis of improved cycle route recommendations on the TfL Journey Planner.

T-Kartor were chosen for this consultation project due to our experience with large data integration projects and our successful creation and management of the Legible London Database.

The creation of a Cycle Infrastructure Database requires a survey of all cycle related infrastructure: signage, road markings, traffic signals, traffic calming measures and cycle parking across London’s complete 14,000 km road network. Survey teams will register 70 different attributes and position them in relation to the road network. The database will store all of these infrastructure types, creating links to two separate GIS road networks: Open StreetMap, for presenting the information publicly on a royalty free map base; and the Ordnance Survey ITN road network, which is used internally by TfL GIS environments.

Mapping possibilities
T-Kartor created and maintain the Legible London Basemap on a GIS platform to allow flexibility of outputs and end uses. By linking to other data layers, new products and services can be supplied using the familiar Legible London base.

Some current examples:
Cycle Superhighways appear on Legible London based signage and are aligned neatly to the basemap, stored and maintained in the database.

Ticket Stops represent an important and constantly changing data layer for bus information products. The familiar OysterCard icon indicates the whereabouts of ticket outlets which sell and top up OyterCards.

Cycle Hire docking stations include maps to show the positions of all nearby docking stations. This is essential information for users, who may need to deposit their hire cycle when a docking station is full, or find a cycle for hire when a docking station is empty. This data layer, holding almost 800 docking stations, changes frequently as building developments cause temporary relocation.

Bus stops represent another frequently changing layer. This information is particularly important on station vicinity maps and bus spider maps, for ongoing travel information.

As the London Cycle Infrastructure Database is developed, it can be overlayed on the Legible London basemap and be easily incorporated into a number of new and existing information products.